The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking people not to take baby animals from the wild this spring.
The DNR says many baby animals are hidden by their mothers and have not been abandoned.
“Please resist the urge to help seemingly abandoned baby animals,” said Hannah Schauer, wildlife communications coordinator for the DNR. “Many baby animals will die if removed from their natural environment, and some have diseases or parasites that can be passed on to humans or pets.”
Schauer also reminds folks that animals taken from their habitat may not survive and if they do survive they may not be able to return to the wild.
According to the DNR, licensed wildlife rehabilitators may possess abandoned or injured wildlife. It is illegal to possess a live wild animal if you are not licensed.
